8.28.2013

In 2007, virtual worlds boom was caused triggered by Second Life and Japan was no exception, too. Many virtual world services were born. However, those most disappeared two years later. Particularly, the 3D virtual worlds were the wretched situation. However, all of the Japanese 3D virtual worlds are not yet dead.

The Japanese startup ADN group released new 3D virtual world solution "Cloud Heart".

Cloud Heart is developed in Unity and works on a Web browser and mobile. Users can make own avatar, have own room, move around the space and chat with other users. The companies can have the virtual world by introducing Cloud Heart into own site. ADN group released the virtual world for fan clubs of Japanese band Greeeen as the first Cloud Heart introduction example.

This fan club dues is 5,000 yen per one year. Fans make own avatar here and can interchange with other fans. Surprisingly members of Greeeen log in through their avatar, too. Fans can meet members here if lucky.

Furthermore, Greeeen fans of the world can communicate across the language barrier because the simultaneous interpretation of 42 languages is possible.

In fact, the virtual world specialized in artists existed from 2008. However, all of them failed. Because they were like hard core MMO which ran exclusive software(like Second Life). On the other hand, Cloud Heart work on a Web browser. Besides, it is cute. I think that Cloud Heart succeed.

By the way, ADN group CEO Taku Kamata was former CTO of 3Di. 3Di was dissolved in this March, but played an active part in Japanese 3D virtual world market from the Second Life boom era.

8.26.2013

Because it is natural to play a game in mobile in Japan, the spread of mobile social games was the fastest in the world. On the other hand, web browser games for PCs did not become popular in Japan. As for the social game offered in Facebook, nothing was popular in Japan(even the games of Zynga). However, a game to break this custom appeared. This is "Kan Colle(Kantai Collection: Fleet Collection)".

Kan Colle is a simulation game that sea fight of World War II as a motif. Players become an admiral, collect battleships of the Japanese empire navy, organize own fleet and fight in the Pacific. You know that such a game is popular, and may worry about Japanese militarization. Worry is useless. Because Kan Colle is such a game.

This is too popular, and the servers reinforcement does not still catch up with it.

The naval girl apologizes, "Sorry. Please be connected again in after tomorrow".

Now, 7 servers operate and each gains the name of naval ports of the Japanese empire navy.

It get more than 500,000 users now. The number is not so great in Japan. However, a DAU rate is more than 80% day after day! This is higher than a mobile social game making a hit most in Japan(for example, Puzzle & Dragons). Furthermore, players who want to begin a game newly wait for server enlargement. Probably this is the first time that such a phenomenon is caused in Japanese PC social game market.

Well, let's introduce a game.

First, we choose one from them. They are figures of schoolgirls, but, actually, are destroyers.

This is mypage and called the "home port". The background is an admiral room, and we can redecorate here.

Next, we construct battleships and arms. Resources are necessary for these.

These are parts of the arms. When a level rises, we become able to make the fighters. We put these on battleships and remodel it.

New battleships were completed! They are light cruisers both. In addition, voices are attached to all of them. The voice is very important element in recent Japanese social game market.

It is finally a battle! Sea fight includes a single play and a multi-play.

We choose battle formation beforehand. War situation changes by the performance of this and battleships.

Yeah! Complete victory! We get new battleship and resources when we win.

On the other hand, the battleships become such a figure when we lose.

It may not be bad to lose :D

However, the battleships bear damage win or lose. When we repair them, the resources are necessary. If resources bottom out, we must dismantle battleships and make resources. Can you dismantle them? The personification element shows power here.

Well, it is management of resources to be the most important in this game. It reminds us of real World War II. Why did the Japanese empire make a surprise attack in the U.S? Why did the Japanese empire invade in Southeast Asia? Because they wanted resources.

By the way, such a game becomes popular, how will elderly people think? Many elderly people with the war experience still living in Japan. The worry seems to be useless for the moment. The old gamer of the former destroyer crew said, "Battleships are not bad. Officers like us who used the battleships as a tool of the war were stupid. Guys idealizing war are ass hole, but battleships which we were able to use for only war becomes a game and are glad of grandchildren loving it".

However, this is the game that is hard to perform global expansion. In particular, it is difficult in Asia and U.S. How about in Germany? Are German gamers interested in Japanese battleships? In the meantime, the server reinforcement will be urgent business first of all.

A lot of games that combined an RPG with a puzzle were released since Puzzle & Dragons made a hit(Those most were copies of Puzzle & Dragons...). However, the hit game rarely comes out like SEGA'S Puyo Puyo Quest.

How about Tetris Monster?

First, Tetris Monster has an avatar function. Cute girls and boys, monsters, etc... we can choose various avatars.

And we have an adventure and fight against monsters with Tetris. All the monsters are 3D and Different animation are set in all. The battle direction is very showy.

When we pile up a block and remove lines, We can attack monsters of the enemy. In addition, Tetris Monster has new function "Stack" and we can remove plural lines in a mass. Then we can give much damage to enemies.

When we beat enemies, we can get various monsters.

In this way, most of the contents of the game are the same as Puzzle & Dragons. However, I thought that Tetris Monster was more difficult than Puzzle & Dragons. Because Tetris is more difficult than Match 3 Games. It takes 2-3 min. for 1 game of Puzzle & Dragons, it takes 5-10 min. for 1 game of Tetris Monster. Furthermore, we fail in Tetris and may become the game over even if the battle with the enemy is superior. Possibly this may not be a casual game.

By the way, this is the first place by free apps ranking of Japanese App Store day after day to date from the release. This is contributed only in Japanese App Store now, but I thinks that it become popular even if released for abroad.